Vending machine having lever actuated converter panel

ABSTRACT

A vending machine having a rack assembly comprising endless side chain members, product shelf rods attached to the chain members, rear and front product back rests on which the product items slide, the front back rest having a lower end forming a vend panel with stepped portions therein allowing vending of product one at a time backwardly into the assembly from each shelf rod and a converter panel assembly rotatable into the vend panel to allow vending of different sized product.

United statesPatem 91 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1952 Larkin 221/77 X Stegeman I Feb. 5, 1974 [54] VENDING MACHINE HAVING LEVER 2,888,165 5/1959 Bookout et a1. 221/77 ACTUATED CONVERTER PANEL 3,512,679 5/1970 Stoltz 221/241 X [75] Inventor: Berend Stegeman, Belleville, I

Oman), Canada Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg [73] Assignee: Eddy Match Company, Limited,

Toronto, Ontario, Canada [22] Filed: Mar.'16, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT 21 Appl. No.: 342,311

A vending machine having a rack assembly comprising endless side chain members, product shelf rods at- Forelgn Apphcatlon pl'wl'lty Data tached to the chain members, rear and front product Apr. 21, 1972 Canada 140216 back rests on which the product items slide, the front back rest having a lower end forming a vend panel [52] US. Cl.....; 221/77, 221/241 with stepped portions therein allowing vending of [51] Int. Cl. .Q. B65g 47/34 product one at a time backwardly into the assembly [58] Field of Search 221/77, 85, 2.41, 242 from each shelf rod and ,a converter panel assembly rotatable into the vend panel to allow vending of dif- [56] References Cited ferent sized product.

12 Claims, 11 Drawing'Figures PATENIE FEB 5:924

SHEET 1 BF 5 PAIENIEUFEB 3.790.024

IWIHI l lc a sumu 0f 5 EMPTY LIGHT K3: .5 PRODUCT4- N A I EMPTY L/GH T PRODUCT 3 FIG. 10-

EMPTY LIGHT COUNTER OPTIONAL VEND I RELAY EMPTY. LIGHT PRODUCT 1 [J K /vo auARTERs x LIGHT I a, r

IOTOR I C/RCU/T FOR LIGHTED MEDALL/ON PAIENTEDFEB 51914 I 3.790.024

SHEET 5 BF 5 RACK 4 MOTOR N EMPTY SWITCH NO 5AM W 45 o NV'RTER 3 I N0 "SW/7'CH I 2. NC 1 IL; -cA/V CAM OVERI-R/DE N0 SWITCH $W/TCH NC eo7'rz. cAM N0 SWITCH OVE'R-R/DE 3 MOTOR SWITCH NC EMPTY N0 7 SWITCH 4 Q 3; NC v v CONVR TER 2|? SWITCH CAN cAM SWITCH FIG. 11 BOTTLE CAM RACK 2 I v 3 WITCH I MOTOR OVER-R/DE 7 1 5 $W/ 7'CH /vc A I v I EMPTY rh CONVER7'ER 1 N0 SWITCH /vc I I CAN CAM No SWITCH Na K RACK 1 MOTOR I x v 077 5 MM 5 0VER-RIDE a I SWITCH 4| 'SW/Z'CH NC 3 I j EMPTY I No VLSW/TCH 2 "5 x 1} L: C0NVRTER SWITCH CAN CAM COMPRESSOR 1 RELAY SWITCH FAN MOTOR cow CONTROL Born/5 CAM EVA PORA TOR S FAN MOTOR 2% COMPRESSOR PUMP 1 1 bvekLoAo VENDING MACHINE HAVING LEVER ACTUATED CONVERTER PANEL BACKGROUNDv OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a vending machine for automatically vending various shaped containers of products and more particularly to a vending machine having one or more vertically travelling rack assembly vending products vbackwardly into the assembly and having an easily adjusted converter mechanism for different sizes of containers of products.

The prior art has provided a considerable variety of automatic vending machines which vend different products but one of the problems confronting the-art has been the converting of a machine to take and dispense different sizes of containers. Such conversion in existing vending machines involves the making of complicated and lengthy mechanical adjustment in a machine.

Typical vending machines which automatically dispense products singly from a row containing more than one product are exemplified in US. Pat. No. 1,873,317 to Grenier and US. Pat. No. 2,272,750 to Miller. However, with both these systems conversion of the machines to the dispensing of containers of different sizes can be accomplished only by making time consuming and complex mechanical changes.

An automatic vending machine has now been discovered which dispenses product items one at a time from a single row carrying more than one product item in a novel manner while providing a converter arrangement to dispense products in different sized containers by a simple switching mechanism.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic vending machine which can be quickly and easily converted to vend products in containers of different sizes while avoiding the need for complex mechanical adjustments.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious from the description following taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

SUMMARY Generally speaking, the vending machine of the invention comprises a rack assembly having multiple front and rear rack members which are substantially vertically aligned and are attached to two endless side chain members. Each rack member comprises a horizontal product shelf rod and two side bars. Each side bar is attached to one of the endless chains and the shelf rod is connected to and between the two side bars. A rear product'back rest and slide surface comprising a first sheet is located on one side of the assembly behind and along the full length of the shelf rods on that one side. A from product back rest and slide surface comprising a second sheet is located on the other side of the assembly behind the shelf rods on that other side. The front back rest extends from the top shelf rods on thesaid other side and has a lower end forming a vend panelbehind the shelf rods at the bottom of the said other side. The vend panel has stepped portions thereon allowing single vending of product items backwardly into the assembly. A discharge means collects and delivers product items from-the vend panel and driving means consisting of a timed, stepwise driven motor drives the chain members the required distance for vending of product one at a time. A converter panel assembly comprising a converter panel, a converter rod supporting the panel and a product selector lever attached to the converter rod is associated with the vend panel. The converter panel is positionable by way of the product selector lever either away from the vend panel or against the vend panel in converting position to allow vending of different sized product from the assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vending machine embodying the invention with front panel open to show the arrangement of a number of dispensing rack assemblies;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the rack assemblies shown in FIG. 1 with portions thereof broken away; FIGS. 3 to 6 inclusive are elevational sectional views of different portions of the dispensing end of the rack assembly shown in FIG. 2 taken through line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and through different vertical lines of FIG. 2, respectively;

FIG. 7 shown on the same sheet as FIG. 1, is a sectional view in elevation of the upper portion of the rack assembly taken through line 7-7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 shown on the same sheet as FIG. 2, is an elevational view of the product dispensing portion of the rack assembly shown in FIG. 2 with converter panel in converting position;

FIG. 9 shown on the same sheet as FIG. 2, is an elevational view of the product selector lever end of the converter panel assembly of the rack assembly shown in FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 10 and 11 is a typical electric schematics diagram fo'rthe vending machine of the'invention embodied in FIG.- 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring in particular to FIG. 1 of the drawings, which is a perspective view of a vending machine 10 embodying the invention, which has front panel 11 removed therefrom four lines, of rack assemblies 12 are shown, from which containers 13 of products being vended are dispensed. The containers are singly dispensed to and through discharge means or chute l4 and are retrieved at lower chute opening 15 in the front 6 panel 1 1. With the machine shown in FIG. 1 four different products may be vended, one from each of the rack assemblies 12. Product selection is made through the selection panel 16 on the front panel 11. Coin slot 17 and return change opening 18 are shown on the front panel 11.

Operation of one of the rack assemblies 12 can best be described with reference to FIG. 2 of the drawings. Thus, the rack assembly 12 has multiple front and rear rack members 19, 20 respectively which are substantially vertically aligned in the assembly as shown in FIG. 2. The rack members 19; 20. are attached to endless side chain members 21, 22 and each of the rackmembers 19, 20 comprise a horizontal product shelf rod 23 and two side bars 24, 25 the side bars 24, 25 being attached to endless chain members 21, 22 respectively. As can be seen the shelf rods 23 are attached to and between the side bars 24, 25. Advantageously, the side bars 24, 2 5 are of substantially triangular configuration with bases 26 rivetted to the chains and apices 27 having the shelf rods 23 attached thereto.

The rack assembly 12 has a rear product back rest and slide surface 28 and a front product back rest and slide surface each vertically arranged in the assembly 12, a portion of the rear product back rest 28 being seen through the broken-away portion of the front product back rest 29. The rear product back rest 28 consists of a first backing sheet located on one side of the assembly 12 and behind and along the full length of the shelf rods 23 on that side. The front product back rest 29 consists of a second backing sheet located on the other side of the assembly 12 and behind but not down the full length of the shelf rods 23 on the said other side, as explained in detail hereinafter. As clearly shown in FIG. 2, product items 30 are loaded into and rest on the shelf rods 23 and backwardly against the rear or front product back rests 28, 29 depending on the location of the product items 30 in the assembly 12. The side bars 24 are, of course, proportioned so as to position the shelf rods 23 far enough outwardly from the back rests 28, 29 to keep the product items 30 stably supported on the rods 23. The product items 30 are prevented from falling forwardly off the shelf rods 23 by a possible jarring of the machine by way of enclosing side frame member 37 attached to the rack assembly 12 and by side frame member 37a (shown in broken outline) of an adjacent rack assembly (not shown). It can be seen that as product items supported on the rods 23 are moved around the rack assembly 12 by vending and dispensing of product, the product items slide upwardly on the back rest 28 and downwardly on the back rest 29 as shown by directional arrow 31.

The shelf rods 23 and the product items 30 thereon are moved in the rack assembly 12 by the endless drive chains 21, 22 which are driven by drive motor 32 which rotates drive sprockets 33, 34 and sprocket shaft 35. The chains 21, 22 run on the drive sprockets 33, 34 respectively. The rack members and shelf rods 23 must, of course, be driven in-a stepwise fashion and the stepwise driving of the motor 32 by way of vend cams 36 attached to the end of the sprocket shaft 35. Thus the vend cams 36 are arranged so that, as the shelf rods 23 are moved by addition of money to the vending machine, selection of a product and actuation of the motor 32, the-motor is stopped by switching arrangements associated with the vend cams 36 when the sprocket shaft 35 has rotatedv through a set are and the shelf rods 23 have been moved a required distance. The lower ends of the chain members 21, 22 ride on idler sprockets 38 which are independent of each other and devoid of any sprocket shaft therebetween to allow unhindered dispensing of product items to the dispensing chute 14 (see FIG. 1).

As previously described the front product back rest 29 does not extend downwardly fully behind the shelf rods but has a lower end 39 forming a vend panel behind the shelf rods. The vend panel 39 has stepped portions 40, 41, 42, 43 therein, four in all in the embodiments shown in FIG. 2. The vend panel in any particular vending machine as anumber of stepped portions to correspond with the number of product items being vended from one row onone shelf rod. Thus, the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 will vend four product items from each shelf and for purposes of illustration these product items are shown as being cans of a particular product in FIG. 2.

The vend panel 39 allows single product vending from any shelf in the rack assembly and in operation each shelf rod 23 advances in four stages as the required amount of money for one product item is fed four times to the machine. Thus as one of the product items 30 passes the step 42 the item falls backwardly into the rack assembly as shown by the sectional view in FIG. 3 taken through line 3-3 of FIG. 2. The shelf then takes one more step in vending another of the product items 30 and the item passes the step 43 and falls backwardly into the assembly as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 4. FIGS. 5 and 6 show product items 30 falling backwardly under steps 41 and 40, respectively, of the vend panel 39 as the shelf advances two more stages. The product items 30, which fall backwardly into the assembly drop to the discharge means or chute 14 (see FIG. 1).

The vending machine of the invention is provided with a converter panel which allows vending of product items of different size merely by placing the converter panel against the vend panel 39 by a simple switching operation. Thus, referring to FIG. 2, a converter panel assembly 44 is provided at the vend panel39 having a converter panel 45, a converter rod 46 rotatably supported in the rack assembly and itself supporting the panel 45 and a product selector lever 47 attached to one end of the converter rod 46. In FIG. 2 the converter panel 45 is swung backwardly away from the vend panel 39 by way of the product selector lever 47 which is positioned in front of holding bracket 48, thereby allowing vending of four product items from one shelf as previously described with reference to FIG. 2.

The converter panel in the embodiment of FIG. 2 is seen to have two stepped portions 49, 50, allowing conversion of the rack assembly 12 to vend only two product items of a different longer size from each shelf. In order to convert the rack assembly to dispense two product items of different size from each shelf the product selector lever 47 which is provided with a flexible handle is pulled outwardly from the holding bracket 48 and is swung backwardly and snapped behind the holding bracket 48. This action swings the converter panel 45 forwardly to be positioned against the vend panel 39, as shown in FIG. 8, thereby converting the vend panel 39 to a two step dispensing panel. Upon conversion to a two step dispensing panel it is necessary to provide for a doubling of the distance the drive chains are driven by the motor as product items are dispensed one at a time. This provision is made by use of a switch means 51 operated by switch 52 andv associated with the converter panel assembly, the switch 52 being contacted and operated by stepped out portion 53 on the converter panel 45 when the product selector lever 47 is pulled out to the broken line position 47a and then swung backwardly behind the holding bracket 48, all of which is shown in FIG. 9. The switch means provides for a doubling of the timed operation of the motor 32 in order to increase the motion of the sprocket shaft 35 and the drive chains 21, 22.

Although the embodiment of FIG. 2 illustrates the vending of four or two product items from a shelf, it can be appreciated that provision can be made, for example, of six and three or three and two vending by provision of proper vend panels, conversion panels and timed stepping. The embodiment of FIG. 2 can, for example, support on each shelf four l0 oz. cans or two oz. bottles of soft drinks and a standard 7 /2R.P.M. motor can be used for advancing the shelf-chain system a given amount to comply with coinage inserted. In the embodiment illustrated, if two product items are placed on each shelf then the motor 32 and cam 36 move the drive mechanism through 180 equivalent to a desired length of chain movement and if four product items are placed on each shelf then the drive mechanism moves through 90 by operation of the converting switch means 52 to thereby provide chain movement of only half the distance.

The product items are vended backwardly into the mechanism as previously described, because of the absence of a lower sprocket shaft and timing is set so that any product shelf rod is either ahead of or behind the product item during vending. The product items discharge into the delivery chute 14 which is advantageously of three sided configuration as shown in FIG. 1. The chute -l4 advantageously works in conjunction with a single vend door with an anti-theft protector (not shown).

An advantageous feature of the rack assembly embodied in FIG. 2 is the provision of product guide springs 54 at the top of the shelf-chain system. The operation of the springs 54 is illustrated by the sectional view of FIG. 7 which shows the product items 30 on the shelf rods 23 and resting against the back rest 28 ascending while the product items 30 on the shelf rods 23 and resting against the back rest 29 are descending. As the product items 30 swing over the top of the rack assembly to start descending an item would generally fall down onto the shelf rod below. causing considerable noise and possible damage to product. However, in the arrangement embodied by FIGS. 2 and 7 as product items are carried over the top of the rack assembly they come in contact with product guide springs 54 and must be pushed past the springs 54 by the shelf rod 23 to end up in the position 55 shown by broken outline with the guide spring flattened against the frame member 37 in position 56 as also shown by broken outline. When the then descending product item 30 clears the springs 54 they return to their original positions to receive other product items. I

In each of the rack assemblies 12 an empty product switch 57 is located in the line of product items which is last vended from that particular rack assembly. As that product item passes the switch 57 and is vended the switch is released and an empty light flashes on the selector panel 16 for that particular line of product.

Although there is no novelty claimed in the wiring associated with the vending machine of the invention,

' FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a typical circuit diagram for the embodiment of the invention shown in and described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The circuit diagram is divided so that the right hand side of FIG. 10 coincides with the left hand side of FIG. 11. The circuit diagram is that used with four rack assemblies and no- 6 been pushed and the applicable vend motor has completed its cycle. Two selections cannot be made at the same time as all product item switches are in series also. Once a motor has been started by operation of a product item selection switch, a cam depresses a holding circuit switch and the motor continues until power is cut off as a notch in the metal vend cam (described hereinbefore) releases the holding switch. One product only is vended and the electrical system is again set up to receive the next vend signal from the coin mechanism. The empty switch merely interrupts an individual rack electrical system but still completes the ladder circuit so that other racks are operable.

It can be seen that the present invention provides a vending machine which operates and vends products smoothly and simply while providing a very simple changeover mechanism which avoids complicated conversions with tool and parts or by actual substitution of different rack assemblies.

What I claim is my invention is:

1. A vending machine comprising a rack assembly with multiple front and rear rack members vertically aligned and attached to two endless side chain members, each rack member comprising a horizontal product shelf rod and two side bars, each side bar being attached to one of the endless chains and the shelf rod being connected to and between the said two side bars, a rear product back rest and slide surface on one side of the assembly comprising a first sheet located behind and along the full length of the shelf rods on thatone side, a front product back rest and slide surface on the other side of the assembly comprising a second sheet located behind the shelf rods on said other side, said front back rest extending from the top shelf rods on said other side and having a lower end forming a vend panel behind the shelf rods at the bottom of said other side, the vend panel having stepped portions thereon to allow single product vending backwardly into the assembly, discharge means for collecting and delivering product from said vend panel, driving means for driving said chain members a required distance for single product vending and a converter panel assembly comprising a converter panel for positioning against the vend panel to allow vending of different sized product, a converter rod supporting said converter panel and a product'selector lever attached to said converter rod allowing positioning of said converter panel in desired position.

2. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vend panel has a number of stepped portions therein corresponding with the number of product items placed on each shelf rod.

3. A vending machine .as claimed in claim 2 wherein the converter panel has two stepped portions therein to allow vending of two product items from each shelf rod when the converter panel is placed in converting position.

4. A vending machine as claimed in claim I wherein the vend panel has four stepped portions therein to allow vending of four product items from each shelf rod.

5. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein a flexible and yieldable product guide spring is located at the top of the rack assembly to prevent dropping of product items from the rear product back rest to the front product back rest.

6. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the side bars are of substantially triangular shape with a base and an apex, the base of each being rivetted to one of the endless chain members and the apex having an end of one of the shelf rods attached thereto.

7. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein flexible and yieldable product guide springs are located at the top of the rack assembly to prevent dropping of product items from the rear product back rest to the front product back rest.

8. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein an empty switch is located at the lowest step portion of the vend panel actuable at the vending of the last product item from the rack assembly.

9. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein a switch means is located on the rack assembly actuable by the converter panel assembly which switch means provides for an increase in the distance the driving means drives the chain members.

10. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein idler sprockets are located on the rack assembly for the lower ends of the side chain members, said idler sprockets being independent of each other and devoid of any sprocket shaft therebetween to allow smooth dispensing of product items backwardly into the assembly and downwardly to the discharge means.

11. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 having more than one rack assembly therein to allow vending of more than one product from the machine.

12. A vending machine as claimed in claim 10 wherein flexible and yieldable product guide springs are located at the top of each rack assembly to prevent dropping of product items from each rear product back rest to each front product back rest. 

1. A vending machine comprising a rack assembly with multiple front and rear rack members vertically aligned and attached to two endless side chain members, each rack member comprising a horizontal product shelf rod and two side bars, each side bar being attached to one of the endless chains and the shelf rod being connected to and between the said two side bars, a rear product back rest and slide surface on one side of the assembly comprising a first sheet located behind and along the full length of the shelf rods on that one side, a front product back rest and slide surface on the other side of the assembly comprising a second sheet located behind the shelf rods on said other side, said front back rest extending from the top shelf rods on said other side and having a lower end forming a vend panel behind the shelf rods at the bottom of said other side, the vend panel having stepped portions thereon to allow single product vending backwardly into the assembly, discharge means for collecting and delivering product from said vend panel, driving means for driving said chain members a required distance for single product vending and a converter panel assembly comprising a converter panel for positioning against the vend panel to allow vending of different sized product, a converter rod supporting said converter panel and a product selector lever attached to said converter rod allowing positioning of said converter panel in desired position.
 2. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vend panel has a number of stepped portions therein corresponding with the number of product items placed on each shelf rod.
 3. A vending machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the converter panel has two stepped portions therein to allow vending of two product items from each shelf rod when the converter panel is placed in converting position.
 4. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vend panel has four stepped portions therein to allow vending of four product items from each shelf rod.
 5. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein a flexible and yieldable product guide spring is located at the top of the rack assembly to prevent dropping of product items from the rear product back rest to the front product back rest.
 6. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the side bars are of substantially triangular shape with a base and an apex, the base of each being rivetted to one of the endless chain members and the apex having an end of one of the shelf rods attached thereto.
 7. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein flexible and yieldable product guide springs are located at the top of the rack assembly to prevent dropping of product items from the rear product back rest to the front product back rest.
 8. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein an empty switch is located at the lowest step portion of the vend panel actuable at the vending of the last product item from the rack assembly.
 9. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein a switch means is located on the rack assembly actuable by the converter panel assembly which switch means provides for an increase in the distance the driving means drives the chain members.
 10. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein idler sprockets are located on the rack assembly for the lower ends of the side chain members, said idler sprockets being independent of each other and devoid of any sprocket shaft therebetween to allow smooth dispensing of product items backwardly into the assembly and downwardly to the discharge means.
 11. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 having more than one rack assembly therein to allow vending of more than one product from the machine.
 12. A vending machine as claimed in claim 10 wherein flexible and yieldable product guide springs are located at the top of each rack assembly to prevent dropping of product items from each rear product back rest to each front product back rest. 